Hello! Non Japanese here, I have a cultural question on how nicknaming (specifically giving yourself one) works. Imagine someone naming their child with kanji that they don’t feel represents them. In this example, a tough person wanting to be seen as less soft, so they use kanji with a different meaning. Would it be taboo for someone to use different kanji than the ones their parents used for them, even if it sounds the same?

Sorry if this question doesn’t make sense, I’m not the most cultured individual.

Итак, я русская, изучающая японский язык. Прошу совета у говорящих свободно на японском, носителей и профессионалов. Как легко запоминать кандзи? Я учу японский уже 3 месяца и пока что я с учителем дошла до кандзи. Так как у меня работа следующие уроки будут только через месяц, на это время она дала мне 10 простых кандзи, потому что понимает, что у всех разная скорость запоминания, но я хочу учить быстро и легко) есть какие-то способы запоминания? Я хочу:

1. Научится быстро запоминать кандзи, чтобы можно было потихоньку, но ежедневно запоминать и не забывать
2. Запоминать.. Я выучила, могу прочитать и узнать, что за иероглиф, но самой вспомнить иногда трудно, как пишется.. Порядок черт, расположение..
3. Как запоминать как и когда читается? Я понимаю, что не все японцы это знают, но это тоже меня интересует.. Как это делать легко?

Простите за такое кол-во воды.. Объясните желательно на русском)

*иероглифы, что я выучила: 日、木、月、川、門、山、田、口、車、人

Hi guys! I have 2 toddler whom I've been teaching japanese to. So faith's little lessons like hiragana recognition, numbers and colors. They know some animals as well and lots of japanese tv when possible. My question is, does anyone know the best place to buy jaoanese learning toys at a reasonable price? They have educational toys for English and Spanish just i haven't found anything for Japanese. Thank you!

I usually pay using Suica on my phone when I go to the conbini and say 「Suicaでお願いします」 at Family Mart or Lawson’s, since they don’t have the touch screen payment options.

This has never a problem, but is there a better expression given that there are so many brands of IC cards? Calling it 電子マネー feels a bit long winded but maybe that is more universal.

Note: I don’t live near Tokyo so Suica is not the primary IC card brand where I am.

One thing I try to do when learning Japanese is to try to connect the word to an image/concept rather than the English word. Essentially trying to understand it directly without first turning it to English in my head before understanding.

I feel like connecting concepts rather than English words may help with the fact that the sentences are arranged differently (any tips on this please let me know too)

It seems like it would be a good practice but it's a bit mentally taxing and sometimes it feels like I'm just reading without understanding what I'm reading.

I pretty much have two questions:

• Is this a worthwhile endeavour?

• Is there a better way to connect the words with concepts? Does it happen naturally over time when you learn the normal way of turning into English?

P.s. I use 'turning' instead of 't r a n s l a t i n g' because I think it might get flagged as a request.

ここでモノレールをおります。二ばんホームででんしゃにのります。 Can someone explain to me why, in the previous sentences, we use '(w)o' before orimasu, but 'ni' before norimasu? It seems to me like the same situation, we're boarding or disembarking from a train/monorail, so why the different markers?

I'm going on a trip to Japan next year and I also want to go to Osaka and Kyoto, and I heard they speak another dialect, "関西弁/Kansai dialect", should I learn a little of that too or can they also understand standard japanese?

I bought a pink and blue set of omamori at a shrine today. I want to give one to the woman I am in a relationship with and one for myself. Do I keep the blue one and give her the pink or vice versa?

今年は変化の多い年でした This is an example sentence for the word 変化 in an anki deck.

I understand the sentence (and actually understood it on a first read yay!), but I have never never seen の used before an adhective. Why is が not used instead?

Also, if this isnt the right subreddit, would someone send me to the right place? Thanks!

In tadoku.org's ありますか？, why is it that only きつね uses います, but other animal ingredients like たこ、いか、たい use あります?

I’ve been using language exchange apps for more than 2 years, but I’ve struggled a lot because I don’t know how to really make conversation with them. A lot of times they don’t reply back, but when they do, the conversation feels like an interrogation because I’m the only one who ask questions and they reply with 2 words max. Could someone suggest me ways to properly make a good conversation? Thanks a lot

My mom was in a number of made-for-TV dramas (with 大映東京 , TBS and a few others) and movies from back in the 60’s. I wanted to go through and watch each one but have no idea how to go about this. How impossible a task is this?

She passed way in ‘93.

I'm hoping to find some good Japanese channels to watch with English subs, so that I can get more used to the feel of how the language should naturally be spoken - while also being able to fully understand the content. I'd prefer gaming channels but I'm open to other stuff if the content is high quality.

I will finish my course in December. She has been my teacher since January. It feels wrong to part ways without expressing my gratitude with a small gift, but when it comes to ideas, I’m stuck. She’s a lovely older woman from Tokyo. My coworker suggested a notebook, or a coffee mug, which I may look into. Any other suggestions?

Nyu (にゅ) sounds exactly like Myu (みゅ) in doulingo, Also Byu (びゅ) sounds alot like Gyu (ぎゅ) , Also Hyu (ひゅ) is close to shu (しゅ) but i can tell them apart.

Hi guys, first time posting here, hope not the last

Very basic question here, I noticed sometimes に is used to indicate the time in wich an action happens such as when it's at a specific hour

1時にラーメンを食べる

But I don't see it when instead of a specific time, you indicate frecuency such as

毎日ラーメンを食べる

Is there any specific rule to this? should I use に if I say I eat ramen today, this afternoon, etc??

I 'm guessing in these cases you could use は to say say, 今日は... but i'm interested in these use cases for the に particle,
Thanks!

For example the name 山田 Why is it pronounced やまだ　instead of さんでん？ i thought that when there are more kanji you use onyomi and if there is only one then kunyomi. The other example is 田中. Why たなか ?

There's an opinion say that it's used to write down the sound like furigana but use hentaigana and katakana instead in Heian instead of hiragana. Hentaigana's also used in literature and poem back then, is this true?

https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/8152/was-%E4%B9%8E-the-many%C5%8Dgana-spelling-of-the-accusative-object-particle-%E3%82%92

Is it what the best comment in this post trying to say?

Accidentally bought second edition workbook...

In response to user feedback, this is a recurring thread for general discussion about learning Japanese, and for asking your questions about grammar, learning resources, and so on. Let's come together and share our successes, what we've been reading or watching and chat about the ups and downs of Japanese learning.

The /r/Japanese rules (see here) still apply! Translation requests still belong in /r/translator and we ask that you be helpful and considerate of both your own level and the level of the person you're responding to. If you have a question, please check the subreddit's frequently asked questions, but we won't be as strict as usual on the rules here as we are for standalone threads.

和名をほうき草といい、昔はこの茎を乾燥させてほうきを作っていました。

Hi, my friends. Recently I encountered this sentence, the usage of the first "を" of which really puzzled me. Because in my mind, "を" is always followed by predicate，but this sentence breaks the rules. Can anyone help me to understand the usage by giving examples? Thanks in advance!!!

I've been told that a lot of Japanese people kind of find it weird or cringy when foreigners use different first person pronouns than watashi, and it's the safest bet to just use watashi. I'm a trans guy going to be visiting, though, and I really do like my masculinity and expressing it. Would it be weird?

Also, if there are any tips or things that I should avoid or be careful of as a trans guy, that would be super apprecaited. Especially with bathrooms. I do definitely pass as a very average looking young man, so I don't think I'll look out of place overall hopefully?

Hi! While studying some native material I've found several times the small katakana ケ used in counters, for example in ヶ月 or ヶ国, but in both cases was pronounced like カ instead of ケ. I don't find much information about why it's used like this. Is it just a remnant of old Japanese or does it have some specific meaning?

Thanks on advance!

Are there any Japanese Modded Minecraft Youtubers that you like? Preferably ones playing through an entire Modpack.

Because I‘d like to watch that for learning Japanese (alongside other methods).

I've heard from my friend that studying art or music in Japan will NOT get you a working visa. Apparently the Japanese government wants your college degree and your job title to match. As example, if you studied a singer & songwriter course, you can't get a full-time job as a cashier. They won't give you a working visa.

Is this true??? Sounded like it is but honestly I really don't want to believe it, my dream was study music in Japan but if it won't let me get an unrelated job until I have my shit together, then idk what to do.

Hi! I don't think I will have much luck with this, but does anyone have a recommendation to a site, anki deck or any file where someone listed common words related to plastic surgery clinics in Japanese? I work at a clinic in Korea, but I originally majored in Japanese and want to pratice/re-learn words so that I might be able to use my knowledge at work! We have quite a lot Japanese customers, and I remember my basic grammar quite well just need the right vocab!

If anyone can help, thanks in advance :)

I want a podcast thats a group of friends naturally sharing their opnion on something, most podcasts people recommend to me are just one person talking to you and then waiting for you to reply like dora the explorer, nothing wrong with that kind of teaching but for me it isnt cutting anymore. If you know any gaming, movie or history podcast thats like that let me know thank you